This invention relates to a device for cleaning sewers, and more particularly to an attachment for a sewer jet which uses both high pressure water nozzles and scraping cable tools to clean out the sewer.
Sewers are an essential part of life in urban society and receive sewage and other waste. In fact, many places where there is a reasonably heavy concentration of population, sewers are the most efficient means of disposing of waste. With the operation of sewers, come a substantial number of problems.
Many items can clog and otherwise hinder the function of a sewer. Typical of these items are grease and laundry detergents which form on the surface of the water and tend to clog the top of a sewer pipe. Solid items also collect in the sewer and have a tendency to clog the bottom half of the sewer. When these various clogging materials and sewage solidify in a sewer, the sewer becomes stopped at great inconvenience to the community and the parties using the sewers. In fact, such blockages are a substantial danger to health. It, therefore, becomes clear that it is highly desirable to have a device for cleaning out the sewers.
One typical device for cleaning a sewer is a power rod. The power rod basically involves running a stiffened rod through the sewer pipe to break up any severe clogs or sever blockages. These clogs have a tendency to block the sewer and can be penetrated by the power rod. However, the power rod for the most part only pokes a hole in the clog without substantially destroying or removing the clogged mass. Thus, the power rodding lacks a complete cleaning capability for the sewer.
Another disadvantage of the power rod is that it is substantially rigid. While the rigidity helps to break up severe clogs, it is difficult to use the sewer rod to reach a wide range of areas--especially in sewer pipes with bends in them. In other words, the power rod is suitable for use only in substantially straight lengths of sewer pipe.
Another device in common use to clean out a sewer is a sewer jet. A sewer jet is basically a flexible hose which squirts water at high pressure against the various clogs and other blockages in a sewer to break up the clogs and objects. Even this high pressure water is sometimes no more successful than a power rod because only a hole is punched in the clog. The flexibility of the sewer jet permits greater maneuverability, but lacks the force to break through the very severe clog.
Thus, it is highly desirable to form a device capable of breaking through a severe clog in a sewer pipe and doing a more thorough cleaning of the sewer pipe.